Renewing the Fuel Line on a 2013 Can-Am Outlander 800R

Shop parts for a 2013 Can-Am Outlander 800R ATV.

Symptoms That Send You Looking at the Hose

Owners rarely go hunting for a fuel line problem. Something else usually gets their attention first, and then the hose turns out to be the cause. On a 2013 Outlander 800R the most common opening clue is smell. Gasoline odor that hangs around the machine after a ride, particularly during the first several minutes after shutdown while the system is still under pressure, points squarely at a compromised joint or a cracked section of hose.

Beyond that, look for a wet spot or a small puddle on the skid plate after the quad has sat overnight, and check the fittings for rings of packed dirt where fuel has seeped and dried over and over. Squeeze the hose along its length. Rubber that feels rigid, chalky, or slick and glassy has already lost its flexibility, and the fine surface cracking that goes with it usually runs deeper than it appears. Then there is the way the engine behaves: bogging when the throttle opens, a lean stumble partway up a hill, or the machine acting like it is nearly out of gas with a full tank. On an injected 800R that last one gets blamed on plugs and sensors far more often than it should.

Injection Means No Petcock

Get this straight before touching anything. The 2013 Outlander 800R uses the 800R Rotax V-twin with electronic fuel injection, which means there is no petcock beneath the tank to shut fuel off. An electric pump module submerged in the tank supplies the throttle bodies through a pressurized line, and cutting the key does not bleed that pressure away. You relieve it on purpose or the system relieves itself across your forearms.

This also dictates the parts you buy. Injection-rated hose in the correct inside diameter is not interchangeable with the soft low-pressure line used on gravity-fed carbureted quads. As a 4x4 with selectable two-wheel drive, the 800R also crowds the front of the engine bay with a differential and its supporting frame structure, so the run passes through more clips and clearance points than a two-wheel-drive machine would use. The steps do not change, but the routing takes a little longer to follow.

The Slow Chemistry of Hose Failure

Fuel hose wears out on a timeline, not an odometer. The compounds that keep the rubber soft migrate out of the wall over the years, and heat cycling from the V-twin hurries them along. Once the wall stiffens, ordinary chassis vibration on rough terrain converts that rigidity into visible cracks. Machines living in dry, low-humidity country reach that stage noticeably earlier, because arid air draws moisture out of the rubber from the outside in.

Ethanol handles the inside. E10 pump gas pulls water into the system and gradually degrades the hose liner, and any stretch where the Outlander sat unused with fuel in it contributes gumming and internal softening. A hose can therefore be brittle outside and disintegrating inside simultaneously, which is exactly how a line that looks serviceable ends up sending debris toward the injectors. Age is the honest measure here.

Getting Your Bench and Your Space Ready

  • Nitrile or rubber gloves, because gasoline strips skin oils on contact
  • A drain pan plus an approved container for the fuel that comes out of the line
  • Replacement hose rated for injection pressure in the original inside diameter
  • New clamps matched to the fitting style you find, and a quick-disconnect release tool if the tank end uses a locking coupler
  • Line-clamping pliers, filling in for the petcock this model does not have
  • Sockets and drivers for the seat and body panels, a razor blade, and a good supply of clean rags

Ventilation is not a formality. Gasoline vapor is heavier than air and gathers at floor level, which is where your head goes when you reach under the tank. An open window six feet up does nothing for you. Work outdoors when you can, or with the door fully raised and a fan moving air low across the floor. Clear the area of pilot lights, space heaters, grinders, and hot incandescent lamps, and keep an extinguisher within arm's reach.

Extraction

Relieve the pressure first. Pull the fuel pump fuse, crank for a second or two until the engine stalls or refuses to fire, shut the key off, then disconnect the negative battery terminal. Remove the seat and side plastics so the tank and the hose heading toward the throttle bodies are both fully exposed.

Slide the pan under the work area and cover the first fitting with a rag, since residual fuel stays in the hose whatever you did to depressurize it. Back worm-gear or spring clamps well away from the joint before you disturb it. Quick-connect couplers release when you press the locking tabs squarely and pull straight off; prying at an angle is how brittle plastic collars break. Where varnish has bonded the hose to a barb, twist gently instead of yanking, and if it will not release, split the hose lengthwise with a blade and peel it off rather than risking the fitting. Photograph the routing and every retainer before the last one comes off, with extra attention to where the line clears front driveline hardware.

Installation, Then Proof

Match the new hose to the old one in length. Anything longer will find a frame tube to rub or wander toward heat. Push both ends completely onto their barbs, dry. No grease, no oil, no silicone anywhere near a sealing surface, because lubricant gives pressurized fuel a path to creep out. If the hose fights you, hold the end in hot water for a few seconds and it will slide on.

Position the new clamps just behind the raised bead at each fitting and snug them evenly rather than crushing the rubber. If your machine uses a self-locking quick-connect at the tank, push until it clicks and pull firmly to confirm the latch engaged; that fitting wants no clamp at all. Return the hose to every original clip and guide before you go further.

Reinstall the fuse, Reconnect the battery, and cycle the key on and off five or six times without cranking. Each cycle runs the pump and pressurizes the circuit while the joints are still dry, which makes the first bead of fuel obvious. Check both connections with a light and a bare fingertip, then start the engine and inspect again at idle before the plastics go back on. One thing worth knowing about this platform: the fuel filter sits inside the tank as part of the pump assembly rather than inline where you can reach it, so if fuel delivery still feels soft after a leak-free install, that module is your next stop.

Related Shopping Categories

Shop Fuel Lines for a 2013 Can-Am Outlander 800R ATV.

Shop Fuel Line Clamps for a 2013 Can-Am Outlander 800R ATV.

Shop Petcocks for a 2013 Can-Am Outlander 800R ATV.

Shop Fuel Filters for a 2013 Can-Am Outlander 800R ATV.

Shop Fuel Stabilizer for a 2013 Can-Am Outlander 800R ATV.

Disclaimer: This guide is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended to replace your ATV's official owner's manual. Always refer to your manufacturer's documentation for model-specific instructions, torque specifications, safety procedures, and maintenance requirements. If you are unsure or inexperienced, consider seeking assistance from a qualified mechanic or technician.